I do?
by Bayliwick
Summary: Natasha and Steve accidentally participate in a Wakandan marriage ceremony. Naturally, teasing and shenanigans ensue as the two Avengers try to figure out how this changes their relationship. Post Civil War. Pre-Infinity War.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: So, I wrote this instead of doing homework XD I came across the prompt of accidental marriage and thought it was perfect for Nat & Steve, hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Marvel. Work is unbeta'd, all mistakes are mine.**

* * *

Looking down at the reddish-colored nut that the servant had deposited in her hand, she observed it with suspicion. Rolling it over, Natasha took in the irregular shape of it, it wasn't quite round but it was smooth with dashes of yellow across it.

Wanda sat to her right, doing the same thing, "What do you think this is?" The younger girl asked as she looked across the table to Sam who was sniffing his.

"I have no clue," He muttered, eying it suspiciously.

Steve, who sat directly across from Natasha and left of Sam, elbowed his friend. "Stop that, we don't want to seem disrespectful."

Sam immediately pulled his hand away from his nose, "Smells earthy. Wonder what it tastes like."

Wanda giggled in response while Natasha smirked at him. Steve rolled his eyes before looking up at T'Challa at the head of the table.

The king stood with an outstretched hand holding his own red nut, and in front of him was a member of the Dora Milaje, Nailah, and a young man in traditional warrior garb that Natasha didn't know. The couple faced each other with nervous smiles, both dressed up in their uniforms, but Natasha noticed the earrings Nailah wore and how groomed the man looked.

No one had informed them of what would be happening tonight, but the servants earlier had specified that it was of a more formal dress code, thus the traditional floor-length gowns Natasha and Wanda wore while the boys were in suits. T'Challa had on his knee-length blackcoat reserved for special occasions and the rest of the guests tonight were dressed up more than the casual dinner that usually took place in the large dining hall every time the four Avengers visited.

"Welcome honored guests," T'Challa spoke, his voice reverberating across the hushed room. Everyone turned their eyes to the king as he gestured to the couple in front of him, "We are here tonight to celebrate the union of Nailah and Umlo, two of my strongest and most loyal warriors."

Natasha smiled as she observed the young couple who looked at each other with excitement as T'Challa continued to speak. Feeling a pair of eyes on her, she looked up to see Steve watching her with a clouded expression on his face. He sent her a smile when they locked eyes before he turned back to the ceremony taking place at the head of the table. Natasha pondered his odd actions briefly but quickly realized she shouldn't be zoning out in the middle of a ceremony like this.

Shifting her attention back to the couple, she saw them exchange the red nuts in their hands with blissful smiles before eating their partners'. She startled when she saw other guests doing the same thing. Cursing herself for getting caught in a daze, her eyes automatically shifted to Steve and registered that he's panicking just like she was.

_What do we do? I missed it!_ She mouthed to him while he just gaped at her helplessly. After a heartbeat of panic, he exchanged the nuts in their hands, quickly popping hers in his mouth. She does the same, hastily chewing it and swallowing it before anyone catches on to their delay.

Grimacing at the bitter taste, she tuned in as T'Challa began to speak again, "And now as you two have exchanged the Kola nut, a symbol of unity and eternal love, you are both forever bound in the bond of marriage."

The king raised his hand where he still held his own Kola nut, "And as witnesses to your union, we now consume our own." Feeding himself, other guests did the same, including Wanda and Sam.

Cheers rose up around the table as Nailah and Umlo shared a kiss, but Natasha heard the meaning behind T'Challa's words sink in with horror. Wanda turned to her, with an unpleasant expression on her face. "I don't care for the taste, but I think the symbolization is nice. An interesting way to say you're married though."

Sam chimed in, his nose scrunched up. "I agree. It tastes awful."

Steve looked at Wanda with confusion and slight apprehension, "Wait, because they exchanged them and then ate the other person's Kola nut, it means they're married?"

The younger girl's eyes narrowed at her captain's lack of understanding. Usually, Steve was one of the first to read a situation and then explain it to others, this was uncharacteristic for him.

Natasha just kept looking at him with shock radiating through her as Wanda eventually replied, "That's what T'Challa said. Weren't you paying attention?"

A scowl crossed Sam's face, "You punch me for being disrespectful earlier but _you_ were the one who wasn't even paying attention!" He turned away, muttering about double standards while Wanda continued to observe Steve. The slight panic that crept across his face before grew into full-blown alarm as he met Natasha's eyes.

She could see her own anxiety and confusion reflected back as he silently asked her, _did we just get married?_

A sharp gasp came from her right, causing her to turn and see Wanda staring at them with mixed levels of glee and amusement. Her eyes were tinged red, telling Natasha that she'd just read their minds and likely knew what had happened. Trying to stifle her incoming laughter, Wanda shot Natasha an apologetic look.

"What did I miss?" Sam asked, his brow furrowed. He casts a suspicious glance at Natasha when she told him, "Nothing." With a glare at Wanda to keep quiet, she focused on the meal that the servants brought out.

Her appetite was washed away by the knot forming in her stomach, but she still dug in with feigned enthusiasm. She dodged Steve's furtive glances the rest of the night as he kept trying to catch her attention, likely to discuss what happened, but she wasn't in the mood. She'd love to ignore it for the rest of eternity, but knowing him she'll have to deal with the conversation later on.

* * *

Later turned out to be right after dinner as she's headed back to her room (It's become hers since they visit so often) when Steve grabbed her and pulled her into his room instead.

"We need to talk," he began by leading her inside.

"About what, Steve?" She asked crossing her arms. A yawn escaped her lips before she continued, "Yeah, we accidentally participated in another culture's wedding tradition, but it doesn't matter. There's no legality to it, so we can just forget about it. I'm tired and I'd love to get some sleep if you don't mind."

Before she can leave, he grabbed her arm again. "But, Nat—"

"No, Steve. Drop it. We're friends and that's it." She tugged her arm free hastily. She's headed towards the door, her hand on the handle when his next words caused her to freeze.

"But what if I want to be more than that?"

Her breath caught, leaving her speechless as she stayed facing the door. She doesn't turn around in fear of looking into his eyes, knowing that they would be displaying all of his emotions right now. Hope bubbled up in her chest, like a champagne bottle bursting in celebration. But she instantly remembered their situation and squished it down.

Taking a deep breath, she turned to see his imploring eyes (damn his eyes for being her weakness). "Steve," Natasha whispered, "We, I, we can't."

"Why not?" He took a few bold steps closer.

"We're on the run from the law for one, and there are about a hundred others too!"

He's closer now, where she can spot the specks of hazel shimmering in his irises. "Why don't you want us to be together?"

Putting her hand on his chest to stop him from getting closer, she pursed her lips as she tried to think of what to say next. _Because you deserve better than me_, were her unspoken words, but instead she said, "Because we can't."

Without waiting for a reply, she yanked the door open and ran away to her room.

_Yeah, runaway Natasha, that's what you do best_, her sinister self-doubt spoke in the back of her mind.

**A/N: Kola nuts are used in some African cultures wedding ceremonies, but mostly for symbolic purposes from what I read. They're also the main ingredient in Coca Cola, oh the things you learn when doing research for fanfiction.**

**I'll add more chapters later on, with lots of teasing as more people find out about the "marriage".**

**Thanks for reading, please leave a review letting me know what you think!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Wow, you guys really liked the first chapter. Thank you for the kind response! Enjoy the second chapter.**

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The warmth from the light outside peeked through the thin curtains, shining right into her eyes. Groaning, Natasha rolled over to try and get more sleep by burrowing into the Black Widow sheets (T'Challa took great pride in theming their rooms so they would "feel more comfortable"; Steve's room was red, white, and blue everything).

Nestled on the edges of a deep slumber still, she dozed for a while longer before someone banged open her doors. The edge of her bed dipped and Natasha groaned as she felt cold skin come into contact with hers.

"What have I told you about wearing socks when you share a bed with me?"

Wanda rested her chin on her teammate's arm, "Sorry."

"Yet you always forget." Natasha scolded, her voice muffled by her pillow.

The younger girl shifted so her cool skin wasn't against Nat's, she sat up and began to brush the spy's hair away from her face. "I'll remember next time, I promise," Wanda told her while Nat just grunted in disbelief.

"How come you're not with Steve?"

Rolling over to look at Wanda's curious face, Natasha's brow scrunched up. "What are you talking about?"

"It was your first night as husband and wife, you didn't spend it together?" Her eyes sparkled with mischief. Natasha launched her pillow at the girl, but Wanda sent it flying across the room with her red magic.

Growling at her, she slapped Wanda away after her first attack failed. "Get off my bed! Get out of my room! I'm going back to sleep."

Wanda yelped as she was pushed off the bed, "Nat! Not fair! It was a reasonable question, you two _did_ get married last night!"

"Shut up, Wanda. Nothing legal happened. We're not married."

"I think T'Challa would disagree. He officiated and he's a king, his word is law."

Natasha expression faltered for a moment before she fell into Black Widow mode. Narrowing her eyes into dangerous slits, she spoke slowly, enunciating every word, "Did you tell him?"

The Sokovian lifted her chin, too used to Nat's intimidation tactics to let them work on her. "Of course not. He saw you two last night and mentioned it at breakfast this morning."

Pinching the bridge of her nose, Natasha asked, "Who else knows?"

"Not too many people!" Wanda tried to placate her friend, but as cut off by the spy's sharp glare.

"Sam, Shuri, Okoye, the Queen Mother, and a few others."

"That's practically everyone!"

Her friend gave her a weak smile, "I'm sorry, Nat. I tried to stop him, but when both you and Steve didn't show up he asked about it. By then it was too late."

Natasha had begun to mutter in Russian under her breath but stopped suddenly at the last sentence. "Steve didn't show up?"

"Sam went to check on him like I came to see if you were here."

_Why didn't he go to breakfast? He loves our Wakandan breakfasts_. _Raves about it every time we come, how fresh the fruit is, the homemade bread…_ Her lips began to curl upwards of their own accord as she remembered him seated next to Sam just yesterday morning in an eating contest.

"Nat?" Wanda broke her thoughts, her eyes scrutinizing her.

Shaking the memory away, Natasha furrowed her brow as she pondered Steve's actions. Going over to her bag, she pulled out a pair of leggings and long sleeve shirt and began hastily putting them on. A bad feeling built up in her stomach, _it's because of what I said last night wasn't it?_

"Where are you going?" Wanda asked as she observed. Her blue eyes displayed worry as Natasha rushed towards the door.

"Nowhere."

* * *

She found herself in the gardens, tucked away in the roots of a giant Baobob tree. It was a good place to escape her vicious cycle of self-deprecation as she replayed last night's conversation over and over in her head. It also kept her from being found and forced to confront the fact that people knew and would try to talk to her about it.

She was tiny in proportion to the thick trunk and much smaller than the roots sticking out the ground, therefore it made an excellent hiding place. At least that's what she thought for the first hour before T'Challa found her with his usual charming grin. "Natasha!" He greeted her with his arms wide, "I must offer you my congratulations."

"I'd tell you to fuck off, but unfortunately I can't since you're a king." She snarked in reply, while he just burst out into melodious laughter.

"Ah Natasha, I always enjoy when you and your friends visit. My life is very boring otherwise."

Rolling her eyes, she goes back to looking out at the floral landscape. Pulling her knees up to her chest, she rested her chin on top of them. T'Challa settled in next to her, not caring about getting his royal robes dirty. Natasha watched the wind rustle the leaves of some nearby bushes and carry across the garden to dance with her hair.

"It is peaceful, yes?" T'Challa's low voice broke through her concentration.

Still looking straight ahead she replied, "Yeah."

"How is your husband doing? I noticed you were both absent at breakfast. I imagine you'd both want your appetite after last night's activities." He teased her with a glimmer in his eyes.

She gritted her teeth at the change of topic. She'd punch T'Challa for it, but she knew that the Dora Milaje would arrest her if she tried. "He's not my husband."

The king laughed loudly, creating an echo across the garden. "He is your husband, just as you are his wife. You ate the Kola nuts before the king of Wakanda, you are married."

The spy groaned, first Wanda and now T'Challa. She worried about what Sam's reaction would be or god forbid if Tony ever heard about this…

"There's no legality to it though. We never signed any marriage license."

"That is the American way. The Wakandan way is much simpler, less paperwork, save some trees."

"But it's not recorded anywhere, so no one can prove it happened!"

"You had a room full of witnesses, Natasha. And the word of a king."

"I saw some heavy drinking last night; the witnesses are questionable." Even she knew she was grasping at straws now.

T'Challa chuckled, "Your attempts at denying it are admirable, but it is a credible marriage. Even if it was just you, Steve, and I, it would still be true since I officiated."

She buried her face in her hands, not liking the turn this conversation took. "Can't you just reverse it then? Neither of us knew what we were doing, that'd be reason enough for a divorce back in America."

"So, you finally admit that you are married!" The king smiled victoriously.

Natasha turned to point her finger at him, "No I did not! I said we had no idea what was happening! That doesn't mean I married Steve!"

A guard appeared suddenly before T'Challa could reply, "My king, your presence is requested for the meeting with your mother."

With a bow, the guard waited until T'Challa dismissed them with a wave of his hand. "Tell her I'm on my way."

After the guard left, he turned to Natasha to rest a hand on her shoulder. His tone serious as he spoke, "I can reverse this if you ask me, but I suggest you speak with your husband first. Find out what he wants. Very rarely does a relationship that the two of you have come to bloom, don't kill it before it even has had a chance to sprout."

With his sage wisdom ringing in her ears, he left in a whisk of his long robes, leaving Natasha to ponder her options.

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**A/N: I love Wanda and Nat sisterly moments :) And T'Challa is always a joy to write. Steve's POV will be next chapter along with more teasing.**

**Is there anything specific you guys would like to see? I don't have this all planned out, it's just really fun to play around with the Nat and Steve.**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: This is a little rushed since I've been busy with the chaos that school likes to throw at me, but I wanted to update soon since a lot of people have been asking for it. I hope you enjoy, nonetheless!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Marvel.**

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_"__But what if I want to be more than that?"_

_"__We, I, we can't."_

Her words rang in his ears as he let his frustration out on the punching bag. How vulnerable he'd felt, baring his heart open for her in that moment, and how she'd turned away, icing him out; it all raced through his mind. With a final series of sharp jabs, the thick target flew across the room with a hard thwack.

Huffing from the exertion, he barely felt the pain in his knuckles as he picked up another bag to hang up. Steve found himself in a groove again, feeling the same cycle of self-pity and hurt continue to fuel his punches.

_Why doesn't she want to be with me?_ He found himself wondering as his jabs grew closer together. _I know she feels something_, he saw the look in her eyes and how she was unable to face him, much less give him a straight answer. His vexation grew the longer he thought about their conversation and the power behind his fists grew. In a matter of minutes, another punching bag lay strewn across the floor, perpendicular to the one from before.

"So, is the honeymoon phase over?" A voice sounded from behind him as Steve was about to pick up a replacement.

Whipping his head around, he relaxed when he saw it was just Sam. "I don't think there ever was a honeymoon," he muttered as his (#1, as Sam would always insert) best friend walked over to him.

Steve let the new punching bag fall to the ground as Sam handed him a plate of eggs and bacon. "We missed you and Nat at breakfast. Wanda went to check on her."

"And you got me in the coin toss?" The blonde stated as he unwrapped the cloth from his hands, grabbing the plate from Sam and hungrily digging in. In his mindset, he'd completely forgotten to eat and was ravenous.

"Nah, I just wanted to see your cheery face this morning." Sam quipped, his brown eyes twinkling despite Steve's hardened expression. "So, was you and Nat getting hitched last night a spur of the moment kind of thing? Because I'm pretty miffed you didn't let me be your best man, much less tell me about it."

"Who told you about it?" Steve huffed out in between mouthfuls of the egg. _So much for Nat's wish of not telling anyone._

"The king himself wanted to congratulate you two this morning, but you both didn't show up. Thought the two of you would be together in your room or hers, but guess I was wrong."

He let out a laugh since that's the _last_ thing Natasha seemed to want. "I don't think the ceremony counted. We're treating it like it was nothing more than a mistake."

"_We're?_" Sam repeated incredulously, "Or Natasha is?"

"Why are you saying that?" He felt his tone rise defensively at Sam's implication.

His friend rolled his eyes as he took a seat on the bench across from Steve, "Because she's the one who wears the pants in your relationship. When it comes to dealing with your emotions, you've always followed her lead: which is not dealing with them."

"I didn't want to scare her off," Steve admitted softly, feeling the pain from her rejection. It still rang in his ears harshly, _"We, I, we can't."_

"And that's your problem, Cap," Sam said, crossing his arms across his chest. "You're too blinded by your fear of her running off, that you don't see that Nat would never leave you. Back in D.C., she stayed by your side the whole time. Even through that civil war crap, she came to Peggy's funeral for you and ultimately changed sides for you."

"She's walked away before," Steve recalled, "In the graveyard."

"Perhaps, but she still came back."

"Only to get together with Bruce."

"But that's in the past, and even then I have a feeling that Bruce was merely a distraction from her feelings for you." Sam pointed out.

"How do you know that?" Steve challenged while Sam's expression remained unchanged.

"Because I've been training with you guys for the past year and then we just spent a few months on the run together. Wanda and I have had many conversations about it."

"I don't think you're right," He muttered. "I tried to tell her how I wanted a real relationship last night, and she rejected me."

"Well, then you've got to try again." Sam insisted.

"What?"

"Come on, Steve. This is Natasha we're talking about. I don't know her as well as you do, but I do know that she doesn't deal with feelings, she runs from them. That's why you've got to be persistent, and show her how much you care for her."

"Yeah, that makes sense. But how are you sure she feels the same way?"

"Because I have eyes. You two are terrible at hiding it, even Natasha. As good of a spy as she is."

"You really think so?" Hope fluttered in his chest as Sam gave him a reassuring smile.

"Yeah, dude. I wouldn't lie to you about this." His best friend lifted his waggled his eyebrows, "Specially when it comes to helping you with the ladies cause you're clueless."

"I am not!" Steve shoved his friend off the bench with a playful shove, a bit harder than he meant too.

Sam let out a groan as his shoulder met the floor, "You'd think I'd be used to getting bruises like that since we became friends."

A smirk grew on Steve's face as he reached a hand out to Sam, who grasped it and jumped to his feet. "It's what you get for saying I'm clueless."

"It's the truth. Think about it, you have no idea about how to convince Nat do you?"

"That's not true," the blonde protested, "I can buy her flowers and stuff."

Sam shook his head with a laugh, "You know Cap, sometimes for a moment, I forget you're over a hundred. But you make it painfully obvious sometimes how old fashioned you are."

"Some people like old fashioned," Steve frowned. "And Nat likes me for who I am."

"Yeah, she does. But you've got to convince her that you're really invested in this."

"I am!"

"I know that, and you know that." Sam told him, "But I get the feeling that Natasha doesn't. Like it's a spur of the moment thing because of your marriage or something else."

Steve frowned, "Something else?"

"Alright, I'm quoting Wanda here," Sam put his hands up. "But Nat may have the idea that she isn't good enough for you."

"That's ridiculous, why would she think that?" Steve's frown deepened at the thought.

"I don't know what goes on in Nat's head, but that's why you've got to ease her into the idea of a relationship with you."

"How do I do that?"

"Start simple. Ask her out, get her to agree and then use all your romantic moves on the date." Sam grinned with a suggestive gleam in his eyes.

"I'm not sleeping with her on the first date!"

"I wasn't saying you should!" Sam protested, "I was just saying you should tell her how beautiful she looks and how much she means to you! Didn't know you had such a dirty mind, Cap!"

Instead of answering, he just showed Sam towards the floor again, not bothering to help his friend up this time.

* * *

He took a deep breath before knocking on her door, nerves bouncing around in his stomach like ping pong balls. Footsteps sounded on the other side, and the door opened a crack to reveal a cautious green pair of eyes.

"Hey Nat," Steve gave her a warm smile. "Can I come in?"

"Sure," She returned his smile, but he could see his own nerves reflected in her expression. Stepping aside to let him in, Steve walked over to the couch and patted the seat next to him.

Natasha chose to sit a few feet away instead. Immediately she said, "Steve, I'm sorry about last night. I handled things poorly and you didn't deserve any of it." A stray piece of hair fell into her face as she finished speaking, and he reached over to push it behind her ear, maintain the small distance between them now.

"It's alright, Nat," Steve replied, beaming softly as he noted the way her breath caught when his hand touched her skin. Sam was right, once you knew where to look for the signs, they were pretty damn obvious. "But I think we should continue that conversation."

Opening her mouth to reply, Steve cut her off by continuing, "I want a relationship with you, Natasha Romanoff. We can start slow and don't have to rush into anything, but I'd like the chance at least, would you be willing to do that?"

She turned her head away so he couldn't get a read on her emotions. "Steve, I, I told you we can't."

"Why not?" He shifted closer, cupping her face with his hands so she was forced to meet his eyes. Green met blue, and he could see the desire in her eyes, but also the hesitation and _fear?_

"I," Nat bit her lip, chewing it slightly before saying, "You deserve better than me."

"Nat…"

"I'm an assassin, Steve! I've lied, manipulated, killed dozens of people –"

"You _were_ an assassin. Now you're an Avenger." He cut her off sternly, "And you act like you're the only one with a bad track record."

"You're a good man, Steve. Not like –" She looked away again in shame.

"You're not allowed to finish that sentence, Nat." He cut her off again, his hands lifting her face to meet his again. "You're a _good_ person. And you deserve a chance at happiness, just like I do."

Nat arched an eyebrow, "And you think I'm your chance?"

"I know you are," he smirked at her while she just kept looking at him like he was the biggest idiot in the world. Hopefully _her_ idiot.

"And how do you plan on proving it?" Her lips quirked upwards, a positive sign.

"What?"

"You have a plan, surely? Mr. Man with a Plan?" Natasha teased, smirking when a blush began to creep up his face. "Coming in here declaring feelings for me and no follow-up? Shameful Rogers."

"I have a plan." He declared, mentally cursing himself for not thinking this far ahead. He'd figured it would take longer to convince her of even the smallest potential of going on a date. "Tonight, eight o'clock. Wear something nice."

Natasha looked slightly taken aback by his boldness before hiding it, and the only reason he saw it was because he knew her so well. "Okay, Rogers. You're on."

Leaning in closer, he took her hand and placed a kiss on it. His lips lingered for a few extra seconds as he watched the blush spread across Nat's face. With a smile he walked out the door, "It's a date, Romanoff."

Walking down the hall at a near skip, he couldn't help but feel a small nagging voice warning him that it was almost _too_ easy to convince her.

* * *

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who's reviewed, favorited, and followed so far! And if you have any ideas please let me know, especially since I'm writing this story chapter by chapter, I can try to incorporate stuff in the plot.**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I know it's been a while since I posted and I'm really sorry about that and the fact that this is so short... Life has just been really hectic on top of some massive writer's block I have for this story, but I do plan on finishing this story.**

**Mostly why I'm posting this now is because I wanted to give you all an update about this and to thank everyone who has commented and left kudos on this story, you guys are the reason I'm trying so hard to keep posting (somewhat) frequently.**

**And Happy Holidays!**

* * *

The second Steve walked out the door, Natasha sunk into her couch with a groan. _Did that really just happen?_ Shoving her face into her hands, she shook her head as T'Challa's words came back to her about giving Steve a chance.

Her heart was skipping with joy at the prospect of a date, and she groaned again at how his close proximity had affected her, making her blush and breath to catch. It was schoolyard level stuff and well below her, the Black Widow. Usually, Natasha was good at keeping this portion of herself capped and stored deep down, but this whole fake marriage thing and Steve finally admitting his feelings was throwing a wrench in her self-control.

_One date_, the red-head promised herself, _and then I'll let him go._ Steve was the epitome of goodness, and yes he had flaws, but the man still deserved better than her. The spy who'd betrayed everyone she came to care for. First Alexei and Yelena, then Bruce, Clint, Steve, Wanda, and Sam, and even Tony. Thor probably would have been included in that mix if he'd stuck around long enough.

_"__It must be hard to shake the double agent thing, isn't it? Sticks in the DNA?" _Tony's harsh words echoed in her ears as the familiar chant of dark memories followed.

_"__Run away, Natalia." _Thick Russian warped the vowels of her name as Yelena sneered, cradling a broken arm as blood dripped down the girl's pallor skin. _"It's what you do best."_

Bruce's shock that quickly morphed into betrayal as her hands vaulted him off of the cliff. Clint's disappointment as he saw her next to Tony at the airport. The resigned hostility in Wanda and Sam's eyes when she had faced them, the crackling tension in the air as their strong foundation of trust built over the year crumbled away.

The memories all swirled in her head, and Natasha sighed in frustration. As a spy, she was skilled at compartmentalizing her emotions, but over the past day her emotions had been leaking through her defenses, making harder to remain objective to the situation. She needed to maintain distance in order to handle this situation properly.

A growl from her stomach interrupted her thinking and she looked at the clock. It was nearing twelve and her stomach rumbled when she realized she hadn't eaten since dinner last night. _Maybe food will clear my head_.

Sneaking into the kitchens of a royal palace was laughably easy, she'd have a word to T'Challa about the lack of security. _Imagine if I was still an assassin_, she thought darkly. Snorting at her own joke, she made her way to where Shuri stashed the Skippy peanut butter, Nat grabbed it and the grape jelly to make a PB&J.

Half of it was devoured when a pair of footsteps came up behind her, "It's illegal to steal royal treasures, you know?"

"You can pry it from my cold, dead hands." Nat retorted as she turned to face T'Challa, now dressed in his training suit. Sweat dripped down his brow, but he wiped it away and then grabbed the open jar of peanut butter.

"I'll leave that task to my sister," the king chuckled. "But I think I won't tell her if you don't either."

"It's a deal," Natasha laughed, polishing off her sandwich. She licked the peanut butter off her fingers as T'Challa bit into his.

"I heard you have a date tonight," he spoke after a few minutes of silence. He took her empty dish and his over to the small sink to wash them while waiting for her reply.

"I don't want to talk about it," Natasha grunted, as she moved over to put the jar away, careful to put it exactly where she'd found it so Shuri wouldn't know. "Don't you have servants who do that for you?" She asked, gesturing to the dirty dishes in his hands.

T'Challa merely hummed, "Part of maintaining a secret tryst for peanut butter is to leave no evidence behind. Have you at least thought about my advice?"

"That's a secret I'll never tell," Nat gave him a side-eye as a warning, grabbing a towel to dry to pointedly ignore him.

Holding his hands up to show he meant no offense, the king chuckled, "I'm just here to give advice. Steve certainly seems to like mine."

That caught her attention, "What kind of advice have you been giving Steve?"

"That is between me and him, Natasha. King and client confidentiality."

T'Challa gave her a shit-eating grin while her glare returned tenfold. "You just made that up."

"Perhaps," he shrugged, "But I am a king and my word is law. Just like your marriage is valid." His grin grew bigger as he had to duck the towel flying at his head, "I can arrest you for attacking a king!"

"Prove I was here first," Nat crossed her arms as she gave her friend an ultimatum. "And then I'll tell your sister about how you took some of her peanut butter."

"You wouldn't dare," T'Challa pointed an accusatory finger at the red-head.

Arching an eyebrow, she just smirked. "Wanna bet? Shuri _loves_ me, I test all of her dangerous inventions for her."

Grumbling to himself, he just shook his head in defeat. "Fine, but you won't get an easy divorce if you keep angering me."

Having no quick response, Natasha retreated back to glaring at him. "It's _not_ a real marriage." She stalked off before he could say anything further. Her stomach was full, but frustration still simmered under the surface from T'Challa's comments. She was still no closer to getting her emotions under control or figuring out a strategy to let Steve down easy.

* * *

**A/N: I just wanted to add some more of Natasha's perspective here... she's really against this whole relationship, but don't worry Steve and her will have a happy ending, even if it's more of a slow-burn than I originally planned for this story.**

**And I really love imagining what T'Challa and Nat's friendship would be like if we had ever seen it onscreen... but that's what fanfiction is for.**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: It's here! The big date! It has both Nat and Steve's perspectives this time so you get to see how they're both feeling.**

* * *

"Oh, Nat!" Wanda grasped her hands together, "You look beautiful!" Nakia stood on the brunette's right, nodding her silent approval.

Natasha twirled in the loose-fitting gown, admiring the rich purple Wanda had somehow convinced her to try on. Nakia had arrived earlier with a few different options for the date and a mischievous twinkle in her brown eyes while Wanda suggested Nat try all of them on. This was the last one and even the spy had to admit she liked the dress.

In her SHIELD days, her uniform had been skin-tight and all the dresses she usually wore had been as well. This garment was loose and airy and unfamiliar, but Natasha found herself enjoying the feeling. Kind of like how Steve made her feel when she was around him over the last couple of months: carefree and happy. The last thought caught her off-guard as it came unbidden, but she didn't have time to ponder it when Nakia spoke.

"This one is perfect for the date your gentleman has planned, Agent Romanoff," Nakia said, her chocolate eyes shining. "It will be cool in the heatwave we are experiencing while looking as you Americans like to say: 'drop-dead gorgeous'."

A slight scowl crossed Nat's face at Nakia's words, "I'm Russian."

"Ah, but you married the all-boy American," the warrior teased. "He will surely be thinking it."

Wanda intervened before Natasha could launch into a verbal argument, "Nakia, can you go fetch us some water and a washcloth? I'm going to need it for Nat's makeup." Once the Wakandan left, Wanda turned to Nat with some make-up in hand. "Stop scowling, Nat. I need to start your make-up."

Sighing, the Russian relaxed her features as Wanda applied foundation, "Is all of this really necessary? It's just Steve and I. We've hung out hundreds of times without dressing up so much."

Wanda took a step back to assess her mentor for a moment. "You seriously think that don't you?" The brunette's tone was tinged in sadness and shock, and Nat could feel the faintest brush of magic as Wanda skimmed her emotions.

"What did I say about staying out of my head?" Natasha growled, feeling vulnerable enough as it was; the last thing she wanted was Wanda seeing her fears and doubts.

"I'm sorry," Wanda apologized but didn't sound it. "But Nat, this is _absolutely_ necessary for the reason that it's _you and Steve_. You two share something really special, but you need to give this a chance for it to work."

"Have you been getting advice lessons from T'Challa?" Natasha muttered, folding her arms crossly. "He keeps saying the same thing."

"That's because we both see the connection you and Steve have," Wanda told her mentor gently. Her blue eyes met Nat's green ones as she continued, "And Steve sees it. Just like I think you do too, you're just scared of letting it become a reality."

"I'm not scared," the spy muttered petulantly but knew that Wanda didn't believe a word of it as her friend just hummed and kept applying the eye make-up.

Straightening his tie, Steve took another look in the mirror as he took a break from staring at the clock in the hopes that it would tick faster. It was 7:58. Two minutes until he had to go two doors over to pick up Nat. He wanted to be prompt, but not _too _prompt.

Exhaling deeply, he clutched the bouquet (lilacs) Wanda had helped him pick out from the castle gardens. There were hundreds of options and the royal gardener (sent by Shuri) had even accompanied them while Wanda made sure Steve got the proper ones. It took him by surprise how invested his friends were in helping him with this date, but he was glad for their support. He'd need it to make sure it went smoothly.

Raising his fist, he ignored the butterflies in his stomach as he heard footsteps approach the door. He remembered Sam and T'Challa's words about

just showing her how much he cared and vowed to do just that tonight.

The door opened to reveal Nat, all dolled up in a flowing, deep purple dress that took his breath away. Her red hair was styled in delicate curls that fell neatly on her shoulders and light make-up that brought out the sparkle in her eyes.

"Hey soldier," she smiled at him, her lips quirking upwards as she scanned him over. Her green eyes didn't display many emotions, but he did notice traces of nerves. It settled his stomach slightly to know she was feeling just like him. Fumbling with the flowers in his hand, he awkwardly handed them to her while she raised an amused eyebrow. "You got me flowers?"

"Yeah," he scratched the back of his head. "Wanda helped me pick them out. They're –"

"Lilacs," Nat finished softly. "They're my favorite flowers."

Her fingers brushed against his as she grabbed them and led him further into her room to put the flowers in a vase. Watching her delicately place them with care made his lips curl upwards, it was touching how much they meant to her. Nat grabbed a shawl from her dresser and a small clutch as she met his eyes, "So where are we headed, Mr. Man with a Plan?"

"You'll see," he told her as he held his hand out for her to take. He saw a flicker of something pass in her eyes, but she took his hands after a few moments.

"Lead the way."

Steve led her through the elaborate maze of hallways until he reached a set of ornate glass doors. Flashing Nat a smile, he placed his hand on her lower back while simultaneously opening the door to reveal the surprise T'Challa and Shuri had set up.

Keeping his eyes on his wife's (T'Challa had assured Steve they were legally married) face, Steve felt his heart swell with love as her expression displayed wonder at the scenery. In her eyes, he could see the hundreds of floating candles reflected and he saw how her lips parted just slightly from wonder. "It's beautiful, Steve," she whispered.

"Yeah it is," he said as he continued to watch the faint light dance across his wife's delicate features. When Nat turned to meet his eyes, green on blue, his lips curled upwards as he held it for a minute. Her breath hitched from the intensity of his gaze before she broke it to dart her green hues to stare at his lips. Unconsciously she took a step closer and Steve started to lean in, but Nat pulled away to go sit down at the table before he could get any closer.

"Are we going to eat or what?"

Sighing at her deflection, he followed her to the table; he knew it wouldn't be easy, but he'd get her to open up. The table was a cozy arrangement filled with local Wakandan cuisines for them to enjoy. They made small talk over the meal and fell into a comfortable silence when they began dessert.

Throughout the date, Steve hid his frequent smiles as he caught Nat trying to take surreptitious glimpses at his suit and coiffed hair. She was good at being subtle, but he knew her to well to not notice. At this point she was finishing her slice of cake, making sure to get every bite off the plate (he loved how she never wasted a bite of food) when her green hues darted up to catch him watching her.

Her cheeks colored in embarrassment, but she slid in some humor to deflect it again. "See something you like, Rogers?"

He reached over to take her free hand in his and pulled his chair closer, "I see you." He reached over to brush a stray curl out of her face, smiling openly at the blatant desire building in her eyes. He owed Sam so much for giving him that push to take the first step. Without his friend opening up his eyes, he'd never have gotten to this point with his wife. Despite her protests, there was no way Nat could deny wanting him when he saw it so clearly in her eyes.

Spurred by this, the proximity between them closed as he cupped the back of her neck with his free hand to bring her closer. When their lips were about to meet, Nat put a hand on his chest to stop him. "Steve," she whispered, "We can't."

There were those words again, the ones that broke his heart to hear. "Nat, please give me – give us – a chance," he pleaded. The blond knew Nat felt something for him, he'd seen it for himself just seconds ago.

"Steve…" His wife angled her head to look away from his soulful eyes, the ones pouring his emotions out like a cascading waterfall (she'd never admit it out loud, but she loved his eyes). It was hard for her to keep her promise of not making this mess worse when he looked at her like that. "I've told you that we can't."

"Then why did you agree to this date?" He challenged her, raising a brow. Nat opened her jaw to answer but had no good response for once. "You feel something for me, I know you do. But you're scared of being with me. Why?"

Still holding her hand so she couldn't run away (he wasn't going to let her go this time), Steve used his free one to lift her chin to meet his eyes. "Please answer me. I want to make this work, but I can't without you talking to me."

Tightening a fist with her free hand, the spy just shook her head. "I told you, Steve. You deserve someone bet—"

He cut her off sharply, "And I told you. You're not allowed to finish that sentence. You deserve happiness, and I want to be the one to give you that."

The red-head bit her lip, her stance faltering with each second longer that she stared into his eyes. She looked down at their intertwined hands as she gathered the courage to admit, "I do like you, Steve." She didn't have to be psychic like Wanda to know Steve was grinning like a goofball (her goofball apparently) as she continued, "I just want you to know what you're getting into. I'm not easy to deal with, I've never done something like this before, and _if_ we do this, I need it to go slowly."

"_When_ we do this," Steve said. "We'll go at whatever pace you feel most comfortable at. I'm not giving up on you, Natasha Romanoff."

A tentative smile graced her face and she felt her heart flutter at his words as he beamed down at her. In the back of her mind she wondered how a hopeless romantic like Steve end up choosing someone like her, but she pushed that dark thought away in favor of the lightness filling her chest.

"Can I kiss you now?" He asked eagerly.

"I'll allow it," she said as he pulled her towards him to finally kiss his wife.

* * *

**A/N: **

**Two fun facts:**

**1\. Violet lilacs mean serious love and passion - I thought it was fitting that it's something that both Steve and Nat want and feel for each other, even if Nat needs help realizing that.**

**2\. If you search coiffed on google images, a picture of Steve Rogers shows up? I thought that was a funny coincidence lol**

**And I'm planning on the next chapter being a lot more fluffy and them getting further along in their relationship.**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Happy Valentine's Day! To celebrate you get another chapter :)**

* * *

After a minute, Steve pulled away to the most beautiful sight he'd ever seen. A smile slid onto his face when he saw the effect he had on his wife. Her eyes pupils were blown, surrounded by thin green rings and her bruised lips parted slightly to recover from the intensity of the kiss. A flush redder than her hair colored her cheeks, and Steve took pride in the fact that he was able to affect her this much.

Of course, he had a promise to keep so he only pecked her lips chastely one more time. He saw that her eyes were starting to droop so he guided her to her feet to lead her back to her room. Knowing Nat so well it was likely that she'd barely slept over the past few days due to her nightmares. She followed Steve closely, looping her arm through his while they strolled quietly through the sleeping palace.

When they reached Nat's room, she turned to meet his eyes. "I hope it's alright that I don't invite you in tonight…" She trailed off nervously, biting the edge of her lip. Most of her dates (really they were missions) ended up with sex and nothing beyond that. She didn't want that with Steve. After she'd admitted her feelings to him it was hard to ignore that she would like to keep doing this while they could.

Thankfully he seemed to read her thoughts when he nodded. His baby blues were filled with understanding and compassion, "Of course. I told you I'm okay with taking things slow." He rubbed the back of her hand before placing a gentle kiss on it. "Good night, Nat."

Her stomach fluttered at his touch. "Good night, Steve." He gave her a warm smile before heading down the hall to his room. The red-head entered her room, so lost in her happy daze she failed to notice the twin grinning faces watching her.

"How was the date?" A female voice sounded from behind her, effectively startling the Russian.

"_Боже мой_!" Nat cursed before reaching for the hidden gun on her hip, but red magic froze her hand.

"Hey, play nice," Wanda warned the spy while Shuri just kept grinning widely, laying across the spy's bed. Wisps of scarlet crackled between Wanda's fingertips as she studied Nat's flushed features. "So, how was the date?"

"Let go first." The spy gritted her teeth together, seeing that the two girls had made a mess of her bed. The TV was muted, but the familiar scene from _Mean Girls_ of the talent show was playing across the screen. And scattered across Nat's Black Widow themed sheets were open bags of chips and empty cans of soda.

Under Nat's death glare, Wanda guiltily freed the spy who stalked over to the bed. Noting the mess with a scowl she said, "Ugh, why are you eating on my bed? You got crumbs everywhere! And soda stains! I can't sleep on these! It'll take forever to get them washed." Intensifying her glare, it failed to scare the girls who just burst in laughter instead of cowering.

"Oops," Shuri giggled. "I guess you'll just have to go sleep with your ultra-hot super-soldier husband in his bed."

Wanda joined in with a silly smile, "Once he hears you're out of a bed he'll be more than happy to let you have his, Nat. Or _share_ it."

_So that's why they're trashing my room_, Nat groaned. Their silly plan didn't even warrant a response – the spy would just sleep on her couch and put the sheets in the wash for the morning.

Too tired to deal with the two manipulators right now, Nat grabbed her pajamas to head into her bathroom, ignoring the continuing laughter and whispering. "Do you think Steve sleeps without his shirt on?"

Their giggling was drowned out by the sound of the shower while Nat casually planned out various ways to murder the pair and hide their bodies without getting caught. T'Challa probably wouldn't appreciate the red-head attacking his little sister though, but perhaps the king would help her imprison Shuri and Wanda at least. It was a very extreme plan she'd admit, but she'd do anything to keep the meddling teenagers out of her life (especially her love life).

Managing to list thirty-seven different kidnapping plans by the time she was done, Nat dried her hair with a towel as she exited the bathroom, only to find the girls and her bedsheets mysteriously gone. The soda stains were still visible on the mattress however and were likely still very sticky. Muttering curses again under her breath, she missed the well-muscled blond lounging on her couch with a newspaper.

Steve glanced up at her affectionately, "I heard that you needed a place to spend the night. You can have my bed if you'd like, I'll take the couch." He added before Natasha could protest, "Wanda already packed for you."

He gestured to a small bag already stuffed with her toiletries and a change of clothes. Causing her scowl lines to deepen, Natasha cursed the teenagers loudly in Russian. "_Я собираюсь убить этих двоих_."

Steve just raised an amused brow, "I know we're married but I'm not going to help you hide their bodies."

Stunned, Nat turned to meet his eyes. "When did you learn Russian?" (She purposefully skipped the part where he mentioned they were married because they _were not married_).

Rubbing her eyes again, she suppressed a yawn before meeting Steve's eyes. Something flickered in his gaze as he watched her. "Somewhere over the last few years," he answered before hoisting himself up from the couch, he grabbed her bag and hand. "Now come on, we're both tired."

"But Steve, I can just stay on my couch…" She protested slightly (and definitely not swaying from exhaustion).

"No," he shook his head, "You're my–" He caught himself and rephrased, "I told you I would treat you right, Nat. A gentleman gives his lady the bed."

"Steve," she resisted against his tugging, but it came out more like a yawn than a protest. She must be more tired than she thought and Steve's gaze softened at her drowsy state. Knowing that they could be arguing for hours about this, Steve decided to just end the debate by scooping her up in his arms.

She wiggled around in his arms for trying to get down for a moment. "Steve, what are you doing? I can –"

"Let me take care of you, Nat," Steve told her, his words causing her to stop squirming. Natasha wondered where this straightforwardness in Steve was coming from as of late. It was strange, yet oddly nice. The warm feeling she'd felt earlier that night from their date returned at that moment when they made it to his room and he laid her down gently on his bed. "Now get some rest."

He turned towards his couch when she grabbed his hand to stop him, "I can't kick you out of your bed. Stay at least."

"You're sure?" His expression betrayed surprise.

"Yeah," she murmured softly, her green eyes already half-shut. "We've gone undercover as married couples before, it won't be the first time we've shared a bed."

Something flickered in his eyes again, the same emotion from earlier, and Natasha got the sense that he was holding something back. But her suspicion swapped with confusion when he crawled into bed with her with no hesitation. Together they laid side-by-side like they always did on their movie nights over the years, but something about this time felt different to Natasha. More intimate almost.

But she drifted off before she could ponder it any longer.

* * *

Steve woke up to the scent of vanilla and a mouthful of hair. Blinking in the soft light all he saw were the red tresses of his wife's hair in his face. and instantly he knew he wanted to wake up like this for the rest of his life. During the night she had moved so her petite body was tucked up against his with her head resting on his stomach, small puffs of air coming out from slightly parted lips.

Nat always looked so peaceful when she slept, all her worries expelled from her face. It was one of his favorite forms of hers, besides when she was being a bad-ass warrior or teasing Tony or concentrating on video games or playing with the Barton kids… Maybe he just loved her all the time, he conceded to himself.

Except when she was rejecting his affections.

That, Steve promised himself, would change. He would convince his wife that they were meant to be together. After all the years of working side-by-side and being on the run for the past few months, Nat had stayed by his side through it all; which had been enough to cement his feelings for her. And the marriage ceremony had been the wake-up call he'd needed to act on them.

Sighing contentedly he pulled her closer to him so she was nestled in the crook of his arm. Relishing how perfectly she fit against him, he tucked a wandering hair behind her ear. Steve silently promised to never let her go as long as he could control it.

* * *

She woke with a start, instantly alert at the unfamiliar setting. Her body tensed when she felt something entrapping her to the mattress, with her first thought being that she'd been captured. Reaching for the gun under her pillow, she heard a sharp grunt when her fist came into contact with a hard surface instead. Wide green eyes met alarmed blue ones as Steve released his arm from around her waist to sit up and regain his breath from the inadvertent punch to his gut. Horror filled Nat when she realized what happened.

She was in Steve's bed. And she'd sucker-punched him as payback. Crawling over to rub his back she apologized, "Steve, I'm sorry."

"It's fine," he wheezed out with a grin. Once he'd regained his breath he pulled her towards him so her hand was on the bruised spot that was already fading. "See? Super serum really helps when your wife gut punches you in the morning."

She made sure to slap him hard enough to leave a longer-lasting mark this time, "It was an accident."

Steve just chuckled before laying back down, latching his arm around Nat's waist to bring her to his chest. His heartbeat was loud in her ear as she adjusted herself to be more comfortable in this new position. This was the most intimate they'd ever been before even when going undercover as a couple, and she _liked it_. Her cheeks reddened at the thought and Natasha ran a hand along the arm holding her to distract herself from her thoughts.

She turned her head to meet Steve's soft blue eyes staring down at her. The window above the bed cast a morning light over him, casting a halo of golden hair to accent the hazel in his eyes that she had never noticed until that very moment. The flutter from her chest returned as she smiled freely at him, a rare Natasha Romanoff sighting.

"Good morning," he greeted her, following it up with a small kiss to her lips. "Let's start the morning over, okay? No more gut punches."

"Alright," she agreed breezily. Scrunching up her nose, she pushed him away playfully. "In that case then, you need to brush your teeth."

Steve narrowed his eyes at her before laughing heartily. He looked so care-free at the moment and Natasha couldn't help but join in. Ever since their team had gone on the run Steve hadn't been entirely present; almost like a shadow had been cast over him. But here she caught a glimpse of her partner enjoying himself like old times.

This reminded her of D.C. before they'd decided to blow up a helicarrier and expose her secrets to the world. When things had been easier for the two of them. Now they were fugitives from the international community and their relationship had been redefined several times in the last few days. Their relationship still puzzled her, but Natasha knew at that moment that she liked making him laugh this hard. It felt silly, but she liked the fact that she was able to make him feel that way.

Stretching lazily, Natasha rolled out of his grasp when he calmed down but still kept her hand on his arm. Her stomach rumbled loudly so she asked, "Can we get breakfast?"

"Already ahead of you," Steve propped his head on his hand to continue looking at her. His stomach growled too. "I sent for some about twenty minutes ago."

"Belgian waffles with berries and OJ on the side?" Steve affirmed with an amused nod.

"I trained you well, Rogers." Natasha snuggled further into the pillow near her head, feeling another wave of laziness wash over her.

"Better than the first time I tried to cook you breakfast and accidentally put the berries in the waffle batter." He snickered, "You nearly stabbed me that morning."

"The Romanoff method is an effective training technique."

"A deadly one."

"But effective," she wagged her finger at him with a smirk.

* * *

Outside the room, four figures were hunched over as they peeked in on the couple.

Sam had a wide smile while he and T'Challa exchanged a high-five. Wanda just shook her head in annoyance while Shuri fiercely whispered, "Excuse me, brother. But _we_ were the ones who came up with the idea of getting them into bed together."

"Ah, but I am the one who got them to admit their feelings last night." The king gave his sister a smug smile.

"Actually, _I_ was the one who gave Steve that push," Sam interjected, tapping his chest to elaborate.

The hallway erupted into a three-way argument before Wanda hushed them all with the death glare she'd been learning from Nat. "_Quiet! _Let's go before they figure out we're here. We need to _conveniently_ release those bedbugs in Nat's room remember?" The brunette grabbed Sam's bicep to begin to lead him away before turning to Shuri, "And you're in charge of getting the room ready."

The princess saluted her co-conspirator as the two Avengers walked away. T'Challa grumbled under his breath, "Why are the girls in charge of this?"

"Because we get results, unlike you boys!" Shuri chided her brother before dragging him down to her lab. They had a second date to prepare the princess thought with an eager grin.

* * *

Translations:

Боже мой - Oh my god

Я собираюсь убить этих двоих - I am going to kill those two

* * *

**A/N: First off, thanks to everyone who's reviewed, favorited, and followed! I absolutely adore romantic breakfasts in bed and Steve learning Russian for Nat. This has to be my favorite chapter yet honestly and I really hope you guys enjoyed it too.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Yes, I might be a monster for not updating in nearly three months, but I hope this monster a chapter will ward off any murderous plots against me. I'm gonna go hide behind Cap's shield now.**

**Disclaimer: My names not Kevin or Mickey, I don't own Marvel**

* * *

Chapter 7

"It says that the waterfall should be up here," Steve pointed over the edge of his map as he tried to figure out exactly how far they were from the end of the trail. Natasha easily kept pace with him as they made their way up the mountain, tucking a few stray hairs escaping from her braid behind her ear. With his brow furrowed, Steve paused to try and figure out the direction they had to go in while Natasha took that opportunity to pass him.

Her lips curled upwards when she paused to study the map over his shoulder, lifting her sunglasses to see better. Still gaping at the map in confusion Steve turned it to try and figure out what direction they should be going, when Natasha grabbed the map from him. "I thought you were good with directions, Rogers."

Her tone held a teasing lilt and Steve just rolled his eyes. "It's kind of a crude map."

"Sam did his best," Natasha defended their teammate. "We always knew you were the artist of the group, not him."

Steve took the chance to take a sip of his water from his backpack. His wife stood in front of him, analyzing Sam's handwritten notes and sketches across the lined paper Sam had given them with an adorable scrunch between her eyebrows. "How did Sam find this trail again?"

"He took Redwing on a date here," Natasha deadpanned without looking up.

"On a date?" Steve spit out some water. The vision of Sam romanticizing his robot in front of a waterfall formed in front of his eyes, causing him to chuckle. It wasn't too far off from reality.

Nat's eyes sparkled with mirth, "Sam loves with that machine. Treats it like the girlfriend he doesn't have."

His gaze locked with hers, blue on green. "Maybe you should try setting him up with someone. You certainly have connections after trying to set me up for years." The mischief in her eyes vanished instantly and her lips tightened into a straight line, causing Steve to frown. "What did I say?"

"Nothing," Natasha shook off his fretting and began walking away in the direction the map led her. "We have to go this way."

Steve followed her this time, ready to find the waterfall and cool off from this heat, but he couldn't shake his anxiety about that look on her face. Natasha was pulling away again, he needed to get through to her. The past week had been the best of his life ever since his wife had agreed to go steady with him and he'd taken every opportunity to try and show her how dedicated he was to her.

This hike was their fourth "date". Following their impromptu bed in breakfast, they had spent the entire day yesterday getting comfortable with each other again with the new labels of husband and wife. It was slow progress (especially on Nat's part) but she was falling back into her old level of comfortability they had built up over the years. The ease between them had seemingly vanished since this whole situation started and he just wanted it back. It hurt that she was pulling away in this moment.

The rest of the hike was quiet, filled only by the occasional chattering of a bird or rustling of the leaves in a breeze. It was mostly a dirt path, with the occasional rock or tree stump thrown in to try and trip them up. It wasn't long before the distinct sound of rushing water echoed in his ears and the couple entered the small clearing to gaze in awe at the sight. Lush green plants covered the area, giving them lots of shade from the hot noon sun, although small specks of light still poked through, causing the water to shimmer. The pool was translucent and they were able to see all the way to the bottom, it didn't look to be deeper than ten feet.

It was scenic, but when he turned to see what Natasha thought of it, a blush crossed his face when he saw that she had already stripped down to her bathing suit. "I didn't know what I was talking about," he said as his eyes traced her form. A deep green bikini clung to her body, hugging her curves in all the right way. Natasha tilted her head at him in confusion while he continued, "You look amazing in a bikini."

He moved closer to rest his hands on her hips, fingers ghosting the scar on her abdomen. A shiver ran down her spine at his touch and she melted into his soft touch reminding herself that this was _Steve_. It was okay to let her guard down around him. Still a playful grin spread across her lips, "Well, it's a good thing that I didn't pick it out for you."

"Huh?" That was not the response he had been expecting.

"I bought it with Pepper just before we all left New York," Natasha told him. "I love how it looks on me. Figured I'd try to break it in while we're in paradise."

Steve shrugged before cracking a grin, "I still love how it looks on you." He raised her chin with his finger, barely brushing their lips together. "You look beautiful." Natasha pulled on his shirt to connect their lips, gently coaxing his with hers.

Eagerly, he pulled her closer for more but Natasha quickly slipped out of his grasp. Letting out a small groan, a smirk appeared on her lips as she said, "Sounds like you need to cool off, Rogers."

"Huh?" He didn't catch the meaning behind her actions until he was hitting the water behind him, falling a half foot before he hit the chilly water with a gasp. Quickly resurfacing he shot her a dirty look up at her. Natasha was doubled-over laughing, her red hair glowing in the soft lighting and he couldn't help but join in. "Just wait until I get my payback, Nat!"

Beginning to swim over to the rock steps he had made his way out before he heard a small splash behind him. "You'll have to catch me first," she teased while treading water in the spot he'd been in before.

Steve matched her grin with a playful one, "It's on, Romanoff."

For the next fifteen minutes, the couple played tag. They swam and laughed all over the cove, even having a chase up the waterfall which ended up with Natasha jumping over the edge before he could tag her. Finally, he managed to pin her down between a set of rocks. "Gotcha," he said triumphantly.

"And what are you going to do now?" Her green eyes reflected some of the sunlight, sparkling mischievously.

"I'm going to kiss my wife." He pulled her towards him before she could protest the term and intertwined his hand in her wet hair. He was the only one who could stand in this section, so Natasha was dependent on him for balance, causing her to slip a little when treading water to match his height didn't work. To rectify that Steve lifted her up with both arms, causing her to squeak in surprise, but he swallowed it in another kiss. Natasha wrapped her legs around his waist and arms around his neck to not fall back, no longer fighting the urge.

They stayed like that until their lungs protested and they had to pull apart for air. Small beads of moisture rans down Steve's face from his wet hair but Natasha brushed them out of the way. Her hand lingered on his cheek, feeling the heat from them; he looked just as flushed as she felt despite the cool water lapping around their feet. Their eyes locked and Nat's breath caught as the intensity of emotion pouring out of them, yet before she could say anything, he looked away with a slightly guarded look.

That expression didn't sit well with Nat, but she didn't say anything when Steve asked, "Are you ready for lunch now? The kitchens packed us something 'extra special' according to T'Challa." Her stomach rumbled on command, causing both of them to laugh at the convenient timing. Carrying her over until she was able to stand, they both toweled off before Steve began to unpack the picnic; only to discover that they were plain peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

"What's so special about this?" He questioned as he handed one to Nat. She took one look at it and burst out laughing.

"Because they're made with a Wakandan treasure," she answered vaguely before taking an eager bite. Her sandwich was gone in seconds, leaving her to suck off the remaining peanut butter from her fingers while Steve tried to focus on his own sandwich and not how _good_ she looked in that moment.

After Natasha had devoured two sandwiches while Steve munched on his fourth, she dug further into the basket to find a small container of pączki. Her lips curled upwards at seeing the familiar pastry, knowing this must be Wanda's touch to the meal. Only the Sokovian knew of the Russian's dear love for this European treat. It had been on a day back at the compound when Wanda was feeling wholly homesick that Natasha had dragged her out to a Polish bakery so they could both find a taste similar to home that Natasha had shared this information.

Moaning in delight as the familiar taste of cream hit her tongue, she found Steve watching her with something akin to wonder on his face. Handing him one, she explained rapidly with a half-full mouth, "They're called pączki. Try one, they're like doughnuts." Steve matched her smile as Natasha took another one in her mouth, savoring the treat. She didn't know how Wanda managed to find them in the middle of an African country, but she was grateful nonetheless.

Biting into his, Steve nodded his approval within moments as he enjoyed the sweetness of the dessert. "This is awesome," he wiped the powder off the edges of his mouth. He looked over to see his wife eating her third pastry and another in her hand. "Hey, slow down, Nat," Steve scolded her while handing her a napkin, using it to wipe the white mustache she was sporting.

Natasha wrinkled her nose and swatted his hand away, "Stop that, I'm not done eating yet."

Laughing, he rested his hand behind him to lean on while he continued to watch her eat. She scarfed down another before finally using the napkin to wipe off the remaining powder, meeting his eyes to ask, "Did I get it all?"

His blue eyes twinkled, "Perhaps. I thought you didn't want my help."

"Steve!"

"Fine," he grabbed her hand to bring him towards him so she was straddling his lap. His free hand came up to cup her cheek, "You have some powder right here." He pressed a kiss on the tip of her nose and then another on the edge of her mouth, enjoying the lingering traces of strawberry on her lips. Natasha giggled (he made Black Widow _giggle_, that fact blew his mind) at his antics but quickly claimed his lips again, allowing herself to relish the sheer domesticity of the moment.

* * *

The hike back was much easier since it was downhill, not that Steve or Natasha really noticed. They just took the time to enjoy each other's company hand in hand the whole trip down. In Natasha's mind, the whole morning had been perfect, minus the part where Steve had brought up how she used to try and set him up all the time.

It was silly she knew, but that comment had sent her spiraling back to the early days in their relationship when the spy had been desperate to _not_ sleep with him despite his clear interest and tried to find a nice girl who could occupy his time instead. It never ended up working out, but now that Natasha was finally allowing herself to recognize the feelings she had stored up for Steve, she didn't want to be reminded of those times. Back when she had been used to shoving her feelings down and not acting on them like the coward she was. This was a fresh start for her, she wanted to take it.

And there was the fact that Steve wasn't being a hundred percent truthful with her either. He was holding something back, she could sense it. It gnawed at her anxiety since Steve had always been honest with her. _Always_. If he was lying about something now, it opened up the question of what else could he be lying about. Was he having second thoughts about this relationship?

Luckily, she couldn't get too sucked into her head because they arrived back at the palace. Ever the gentleman, Steve walked her down the hallway to where her room was, only for the couple to pause as they saw the large plastic barrier on her doorway. "What the hell?" Natasha growled as she walked up to inspect. She missed the guard standing nearby until a spear blocked her path.

Steve's hand came up to hold Natasha back from pouncing on the member of the Dora Milaje. "Hey, calm down. We'll figure this out." He rubbed her shoulder soothingly as Natasha leaned against his chest as she looked at the guard. The woman looked familiar but she couldn't place where she knew her from.

Once she was sure Natasha wouldn't try to enter the room again, the guard straightened her posture and smiled at them. "It is good to see you again, Mr. and Mrs. Rogers. I was honored to share my marriage ceremony with you."

Steve felt Natasha stiffen into his chest and he could already imagine the vein about to burst in her forehead at the new title. Wrapping his arms tightly around his wife so she wouldn't kill the guard (her name was Nailah he now remembered), he sent a smile her way. "Thank you, Nailah. Congratulations on your marriage as well."

"Thank you, Captain." Her lips twitched as she struggled to hide her amusement at Nat's furious expression and Steve's attempts to keep the spy calm. Remembering General Okoye's orders, Nailah added, "There was a bedbug infestation discovered in your room this morning, Mrs. Rogers. Your belongings have been moved to your husband's quarters."

Gritting her teeth at her new title _because they were not married_, Natasha spat out, "Thanks for the heads up." She freed herself from Steve's arms to head to his room with plans to sneak into her room later on, bedbugs were too convenient as she remembered Shuri and Wanda's antics from the other night. Those two were up to something.

She didn't have to turn to know that Steve was following her as they reached his room, with him holding the door open for her like he'd taken to doing over the past few days. Suppressing an eyeroll at the sweetness of the gesture Natasha opened all of the dressers until she was able to find her clothes all stacked neatly in the top drawer of one. "You can take the first shower," Steve offered from where he was sitting on the bed.

"Are you sure?" She asked, "I can always request another room."

"No, it's fine." Steve ran a hand through his hair, his cheeks flooding with red as he admitted, "I'm kind of glad for the excuse to share a bed with you again."

Heart fluttering involuntarily at that statement, Natasha teased, "You must really love me to risk getting punched again."

His face flushed now, nearly darker than the red of her hair. "Uh huh, yep, you should go shower…" Steve headed towards the balcony, "I'm gonna be out here."

Natasha raised a brow at his antics when he disappeared. What was wrong now? Her doubts flared again as she remembered this morning. Were the two events connected? Why had he said he didn't mind sharing a bed with her if he was going to then avoid her a second later? Clenching her clothes tightly in ball, she tried to steady her thoughts as she stepped into the bathroom and not overanalyze. Steve liked her enough to want a relationship, that was something at least.

But it still bothered her why he had basically run away in that moment… Shaking herself out of it, she resolved to ask Wanda about it. As much as she hated sharing with people, Natasha wanted this relationship to work and she would need help to make that happen. Plus, she could do reconnaissance – she was a pro at multi-tasking after all.

* * *

"How red are we talking?" Wanda asked as she held up different paint swatches, each a different shade of the bright color. "Was it more like vermillion or hot sauce red?"

The brunette dangled the color options over Natasha's face, which the spy quickly swatted away. "Neither," Natasha deadpanned. "Why does it matter how _red_ his face got? I need you to help me figure out _what_ it meant. He's hiding something from me." She was lying on Wanda's couch with her arms crossed as frustration coursed through her.

Wanda pouted slightly as she continued to flip through the shades, "I just need help picking out a color for my room." She tossed the vermillion and hot sauce colors on the floor as she kept flipping through some of the lighter shades of red. "I like the lighter colors more, I think." Her own scarlet magic sparked in the air around her as she floated some swatches against the wall, "How about this light red?"

Her excitement washed away at Natasha's glare. "Oh, fine! Steve's face turned red and he bolted… What do I think that means…" Moving the pile of swatches away with a flick of her wrist, the brunette went to make some tea as she thought about how odd it was that _Natasha_ was coming to her for love advice; it showed how much the past few days were affecting her and how out of her element the spy truly was when it came to romantic relationships.

Once the tea brewed she handed a cup to Natasha, who had sat up to make room for Wanda on the couch. "What did you say to Steve before he ran off?" She questioned, hoping that might yield some more insight.

"I just teased him about taking a risk by letting me share a bed with him again." Natasha added some honey to her steaming cup.

Wanda bit her lip, "I don't see why he would run off. He's been very eager to spend time with you."

"_Yes_, but he still did." A scowl crossed Natasha's face, but it hid something else. Only with her sharp eyes was Wanda able to see the fear her mentor was trying to not show.

Taking Nat's hand in hers Wanda said, "He's not going to leave you. Steve cares for you too much to do that."

The redhead's frown lines grew deeper, "He's let me go before." Her thoughts drifted to the graveyard and the crushing disappointment that had followed her as she left that day without Steve. How after growing used to being with him constantly, she suddenly felt more alone than she had in years. And how foolish she'd been to try something with Bruce only months later to cover up that pain… But that was the past. She had a chance now and she wasn't going to allow herself to mess this up.

"Perhaps he wasn't sure you were ready then."

"Ready for _what_?" Natasha turned to Wanda, who was averting her gaze. Her green eyes narrowed, "_You _know something!"

Wanda's eyes popped open like a child caught sneaking candy. "No, I don't!" She stuttered out as Nat's interrogation instincts kicked in.

"What wasn't I ready for?" She placed her tea down to avoid spilling it as she inched closer, trapping Wanda with another glare. Red tendrils of magic appeared though, forming a barrier where Wanda could safely escape the couch.

Her teammate pressed her lips together in a fine line, "It isn't my secret to tell, Nat."

"_Fine_," the spy muttered. "I'll get it out of someone else." As she began to stalk off, another magic barrier blocked her path.

"You promised to help me pick a color." Wanda sent her own glare at the spy, one she had learned from Natasha herself. Rolling her eyes, the spy perched herself back on the couch as Wanda went through paint swatches again debating the merits of different shades of red.

After a few minutes, they had narrowed it down to three nice choices. They were a bit brighter than what Natasha personally liked but Wanda was happy with them. Slowly the spy began to forget her anger and enjoy the sheer normalcy of picking paint colors for a room. T'Challa had lost a bet so Sam and Wanda got to redecorate their rooms and apparently Sam was tempted to make his room entirely Washington Nationals themed much to T'Challa's dismay.

She couldn't contain her laughter when Wanda told her that. The ridiculousness of a fully-grown man _voluntarily _decorating his room with baseball wallpaper was too much. Wanda joined in the laughter too as both Avengers remembered how their own beds were covered in Scarlet Witch and Black Widow themed bedsheets respectively because T'Challa, a _king_, had ordered his palace staff to put them on. Natasha herself found it absurd that she slept in a bed with her familiar hourglass logo repetitively spread across it, but at least the sheets were really soft.

Wanda had taken that moment to take a jab at Natasha's expense, "Perhaps you can convince Steve to let you redecorate his room now that you'll be sharing it."

Sobering up, Natasha's brow knit together. "We're only going to be sharing until they're finished fumigating. It's only going to be a few days."

Wanda merely hummed as she turned her attention back to the various reds at her feet and ignoring Natasha's scrutiny. The spy knew something was up with her friends. They were being less _invasive_ the last few days in stark contrast to their first attempts at convincing Steve and her to begin a relationship; now that they were dating it seemed like their friends had backed off. Even now when she came to Wanda for advice, her friend seemed less pushy about getting answers and more like she was hiding something.

She couldn't act on her suspicion for now so she asked, "What was the bet about?"

"Baseball."

Natasha frowned at that, "Since when is T'Challa into baseball?"

"It's a _recent_ development," Wanda quickly answered before changing the subject under Natasha's amused gaze. "Do you want to go to the market later tonight?"

"Sure," Natasha agreed. She studied Wanda for a moment, wondering again why everyone around her seemed to be hiding things. Deciding to keep quiet for now, she vowed to figure it out soon.

* * *

"I think Nat's onto us," Wanda said as she helped Sam carry a bucket of blue paint into his room, setting it down with a heavy thump. Flexing her arm, a grimace crossed her face from her sore muscles. Who knew paint buckets could be so heavy?

"Why am I not surprised?" Sam muttered as he let down his own two buckets onto the tarp spread across the room. "A master spy being paranoid like every other spy I know."

"Do you think it's something to worry about?" Wanda bit her lip, if Nat found out how much meddling Sam, T'Challa, Shuri, and her were doing it was likely they'd never be welcomed back into Wakanda again from the fallout of Natasha's fury.

Waving his hand, Sam brushed off her worries. "We have Steve on our side. He'll protect us."

"You told Steve?!" Alarm shot across Wanda's face, "That wasn't part of the plan!"

Shooting his hands up in surrender, he quickly backtracked, "I_ didn't_ tell Steve anything! I just mean that once they find out – which they will because let's face it, Nat always finds out things we try to hide from her – but I'm not worried because we're just helping them see how perfect they are for each other. Which is what Steve is also doing because _I_—" Sam stopped to look smug for a moment while Wanda rolled her eyes, "—gave him that push that he needed. So of course, he's going to be on our side when the truth comes out and he'll protect us from his wife's inevitable rampage until she calms down to realize we were right all along too."

Crossing her arms at Sam's explanation, Wanda raised her eyebrow in a way that eerily mirrored the Russian spy. "You presume a lot. For your sake, I hope you're right."

"_My _sake? Why not all of our sakes?"

"Because I have special 'magic powers' to help me while Shuri and T'Challa have an army of guards to protect them. You have neither of those things." Wanda shot him a victorious smile as she finished, "Especially when Nat hears that it was _you_ who started all of this."

"That's not fair," Sam crossed his arms across his chest now. "We all participated. And I called your powers special! That's a compliment!"

Poking her teammate in the chest with a clean paintbrush, the young woman just laughed. "You wanted the credit, Falcon, you get the consequences. Now come on, I can only help for another hour before I'm taking Nat to the market."

Sam shook his head, but he perked up slightly after a few minutes. "I can't wait until my room is done. Show T'Challa how to properly decorate a room, what was that man thinking by giving me Falcon bedsheets?"

Suppressing a snort, Wanda just shook her head, "We're just lucky that Steve made the first move and we won the bet. I don't think I could manage to sleep on my own face for another night either."

"Everyone's always talking about how Tony's the greatest troll that exists, but I think the king of Wakanda would definitely give him a run for his money." Sam chuckled in agreement as they quietly worked for the next half hour sharing jokes at the T'Challa's expense, it was a nice change of pace from the stress that Steve and Nat had been putting them through the past few days.

Wanda's thoughts drifted to the pair and how thankful she was that they were finally realizing their feelings for each other. For the past year, the active Avengers had had a front row seat to the greatest case of denial the world had ever seen (as Clint so eloquently called it) between Steve and Natasha, always trying to nudge the two together. Most times it just ended up with a highly embarrassed Steve and agitated Natasha.

One of her favorite instances was when Vision had been trying to learn more about pop culture (in that specific case: Netflix and Chill) when Sam and Rhodey told the living AI to ask Steve about it since he and Nat "did it all the time". Naively, Vision had walked up to Steve and Natasha to ask if they could show him what Netflix and Chill was later that night while Rhodey, Sam, and her had hid behind the couch with suppressed giggles as they watched Steve go bright red and Natasha gave them a total of three seconds to run. Needless to say, Vision was very confused why they had to run an extra five miles the next morning during training.

The memories stirred a familiar ache in her heart for the togetherness the team once had at the compound. She was still adjusting to the idea that she couldn't walk into a room and expect certain people to be there anymore, the very same people who had taken her in and given her a new home. It was nice to have Steve, Sam, and Natasha here with new faces like T'Challa and Shuri, but a part of the young woman also missed old faces like Rhodey, Vision, and even Tony.

Wanda knew that there would never be a strong relationship between herself and Tony; yet the billionaire had still sheltered her and shown her small hints of kindness during her first year. And in retrospect, she could see his side of the whole Accords debacle, how he had good intentions by protecting her even if the matter had been handled and communicated poorly. Even the rest of the runaways had admitted there had been screw-ups on both sides, with Steve leading an example of an olive branch through the cell phone he sent had Tony.

When Natasha had been able to find out that Rhodey _was_ okay a few weeks ago through her sources, everyone had let go of a collected held breath (especially Sam). It had been physically painful on their end to not rush to his bedside like they always did when one of their teammates had been injured back on the compound. A small part of Wanda wondered if she could ask Nat to look into how Vision was doing, if he was doing okay… like her, Vision had been acclimating to American culture while also learning how to work with a team. Perhaps with more time their could have become something more.

She was interrupted from her thoughts when Sam came to rest a hand on her shoulder, his brown eyes tracing the tear she hadn't realized had fallen. "Hey, you okay?" His face was already transforming into counselor mode.

Flecks of blue paint dotted his cheek as Wanda met his eyes with a wobbly smile. "I'm fine, I just…" She took a deep breath to steady herself, "I was thinking about the compound and Vision–"

Wordlessly Sam pulled her tighter to his chest and the familiarity of the gesture made Wanda think of her brother. How whenever she had been upset as a child, Pietro just _knew_ when she was upset (even sometimes before Wanda knew) and hugged her to console her. _That _sent another wave of tears down her face as Sam tightened his embrace, protectively like any older brother would do.

A little out of practice expressing affection, Wanda squeezed Sam's torso for a moment before pulling away. He understood her need for space as he took a few steps back, offering her a tissue instead. Wiping away more of her tears, Wanda tried to figure out when she had started to see Sam on the same level as Pietro. It was startling since she never thought she would be as close to anyone again like her twin, but she brushed it aside for now as Sam asked. "Do you want me to call someone? Dad? Mom?"

Giggling at the team's nickname for Steve and Nat, Wanda shook her head. Taking a deep breath to calm herself, she met Sam's worried eyes. "I'm fine, thank you." She sat down on the one spot on the floor not covered in blue paint, pulling Sam with her. He was easy to be around and he didn't judge, she just wanted to enjoy his company right now while in her vulnerable state.

Sam waved off her gratitude, "You don't have to explain yourself to me. I get feeling homesick." He crossed his legs as he settled down across from her, letting her dictate the silence.

Once she managed to calm down enough, Wanda asked the question that had been lingering since they had arrived in Wakanda. "Do you think they miss us too? Rhodey and Vision, I mean, because we _were_ a team…"

Hands clasped together, Sam seemed to choose his words carefully. "I'd like to think so, but I couldn't say for sure unless one of them told me to my face." His tone was solemn. Wanda didn't have to read his mind to know he was thinking about Rhodey's injury and the role he played in it.

"I shouldn't have brought this up," she said, quickly backing away as guilt pricked her heart. Here she was causing unnecessary pain again. "I'm sorry."

Sam's eyes snapped to hers before he asked, "Why are you apologizing?" Recognition dawned on his face a heartbeat later, "Oh no, it's not your fault at all." He reached over to grab her hand to keep her from running away, "Wanda, don't apologize for that. You needed to let some of it out and that's okay, that's healthy."

Her blue eyes were locked on their hands as she was still half-risen from the floor, "You're sure? Even though I brought up…?"

"Yeah," Sam's eyes were kind as he guided her back to the carpet before letting her hand go. "That's something I have to deal with, it's not your problem."

Biting her lip, she tentatively offered, "If you would like to talk, I am here. Just like you were for me."

Hearing her words, Sam grinned appreciatively but he didn't say anything. They sat in silence for a bit longer before he spoke, "It's weird not having Rhodey and Vision around. I'm always wondering how they're doing." Sam's eyes met hers knowingly, "If you want to ask Nat to find something out, I think you should ask her."

"You don't think she'll be mad?"

Sam shook his head, "No. I think she might understand better than anyone."

Tilting her head at his answer, Wanda furrowed her brow. "What do you mean?"

Exhaling sharply, Sam looked around as if to double check they were alone before he met her eyes. "You can't breathe a word of this to anyone, especially Steve." Only once Wanda promised did he continue. "Back in 2014, you know that the three of us – Nat, Steve, and I – exposed HYDRA and left a huge mess in the Potomac, right?" Wanda nodded, but her confusion only deepened.

"Well, then me and Steve left to track Barnes and Nat had gone off to find new covers or something, Steve didn't hear a word from her until Ultron again. But that's not the whole story." Sam leaned back on his hand as he paused, his eyes glinting. "See, Nat actually _was_ keeping tabs on us and feeding us leads when we needed a new one. It was her way of checking in on Steve since she wasn't there."

"You were in on it, weren't you?" Wanda guessed while Sam cracked a smile.

"Oh totally, she would give me a lead while I was tasked with keeping Steve alive. Those were her exact words." Her teammate's face was downright gleeful as he shared. "I knew Steve had feelings for her back in D.C., but it wasn't until I started getting the anonymous messages from Nat that I knew it was mutual. Why she couldn't come with us I don't know, but it still makes for some fun blackmail every once in a while."

Wanda bit back a laugh, "How did Steve not find out?"

"Ah, that was easy, I just told him I was talking to my sister or something. Plus, Nat gave me great excuses to use as to where I was getting the leads from."

_Wow,_ Wanda thought to herself. Nat had been checking in remotely on Steve (who the spy claimed to not love) all the way back in 2014. More than two years ago. Which meant their relationship really had been a long time coming.

"So, you see what I mean?" Sam wiggled his eyebrows as Wanda's attention focused back on him. "Nat will _totally_ understand why you want to check in on Vision."

Against her will, a blush-colored Wanda's features, "I never specified that it was Vision! I just meant checking in on everyone."

"Who happens to be Vision," Sam cackled at her embarrassment. At that moment, Wanda saw another strong resemblance to Pietro (who used to be just as obnoxious) again as she rushed to deny Sam's teasing. As she was about to retort, Sam fell backward from laughter – right into a wet tray of paint.

This time Wanda burst out laughing as Sam reached up to feel the sticky residue coating the back of his head and shoulders with a scowl. Exhilarated by the turn of events, she quickly stood with a glance at her watch. "Oh, I have to go get ready now. Don't forget you need to be with Steve in front of the fruit stand at eight!" She turned back at the door to give Sam a genuine smile as he was still scowling, "And thank you for the talk, I needed it."

* * *

**Oh my god, guys, this story has nearly 10,000 views with so many favs/alerts/reviews!**

**I never thought the little plot would expand into such a long fic but I'm honored you all are enjoying it so much and keep coming back :D I know I don't respond to reviews, but you should know that I love reading all of your comments and getting notifications that someone favorited/followed this story, it always makes my day – so please keep enjoying and I'll keep writing content that you (hopefully!) enjoy**

**And onto some (rather long) chapter notes:**

**1\. Pączki - Deep-fried pieces of dough filled with cream or different jams, like an American doughnut except it's Polish**

**2\. Vermillion – that is a total reference to How I Met Your Mother S7E21 where Lily's face turns "vermillion" when she is lying to Marshall, where he pulls out paint swatches to match the exact color of her face XD I just couldn't resist putting it in**

**3\. I had a comment from someone a while ago about Natasha sleeping on Black Widow sheets being kind of absurd, which is why I gave Wanda and Sam the repainting plot because although I have a T'Challa just enjoys messing with people, they were not too pleased so they made a bet, T'Challa lost and they get to redecorate their rooms.**

**4\. With the Wanda and Sam scene, I felt like the story was lacking in their character development so I wanted to give them some time together. I really love this scene – I tried to portray a special kind of relationship where two people can both be vulnerable and joking and just so comfortable with one another because I find that it's rare to have something that genuine. One of the best things in the world (for me at least) is when you can be with a person and just be completely at ease – I hope you got that sense from it.**

**5\. It also addresses some lingering issues they might be having since Civil War would have happened quite recently and I don't think the characters wouldn't feel anything about it at this stage like I realized I have been writing it. So far, the fic has been mostly Natasha/Steve wrapped up in figuring out their feelings and lighthearted teasing, but I didn't want the characters to forget about the circumstances as to why they are in Wakanda either. I'm not going back to change any of the first few chapters, but I think this scene marks a slight change where everyone will start to realize _they_ are on the run and will have to deal with that very soon. I still plan on giving nat/steve plenty of time for fluff, but they will also need to start to address certain things (which I have tried to set up in this chapter as well) in their relationship soon if they want it to survive.**

**6\. And lastly – Wanda and Natasha's tendency to bottle things up and be reluctant to share with others is something I do a lot. Please don't be me and Wanda if you are struggling – find someone to talk to, write it out, scream into a pillow – do anything but ignore it. We're in rough/stressful times right now and I know I'm feeling the effects a lot so I'm speaking from the heart on this – please take care of yourselves and others.**

**One last quick(!) note on updates:**

**I'm sorry it took me so long to update this story, it was never my intention to let it sit this long. Short story about my life right now is that my mental health took a dive for a while and I lost motivation to do lots of things, including writing. My first priority right now has to be catching up on things I fell behind on which sadly does not include this fic. So to end this already very long note: I _will_ be finishing this (I already have a rough outline!), but I can't guarantee quick updates. Thank you to everyone who's been sticking with me!**


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